Northern Ontario School of Medicine marks first day as standalone institution
On Thursday, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine became a standalone institution, the first of its kind in Canada.
NOSM's president and CEO Dr. Sarita Verma said this is a significant milestone.
"With royal assent, we will transition to becoming a degree-granting university -- it's really great news for northern Ontario," Verma said.
The decision was not without controversy, after Lakehead University launched a campaign to keep the status quo.
"It's a trend in the world -- in the United States there are a lot of new universities that are medical schools," Verma said.
"There's also some amazing top 50 universities like the University of Vienna where Sigmund Freud studied ... this is not unusual. Like the pandemic, people have had to shift and move quickly."
Verma said NOSM is in a great position to move forward and diversify and innovate as it looks to find its footing. She said students won't notice any changes.
"There will be a change in the degree itself," said Verma. "It'll have a NOSM seal on it, not Laurentian and Lakehead, but other than that there isn't a lot of difference. Our degree was accredited to NOSM, it wasn't accredited to Laurentian or Lakehead. The degree that's in the college license is NOSM."
"Lakehead had an interesting propaganda campaign run by a communications firm and I think some innocent bystanders got harmed by it, frankly," she said.
Since opening its doors in 2005, NOSM has produced 714 doctors, many of whom self-identify as either Indigenous or French. The school is also graduating 66 new doctors this week in both Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
The school is planning to move ahead with its strategic plan that focuses on health impacts for the region.
Administration will begin broad consultations about the next steps over the summer months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.